AUDIENCE SCORE

Movie Info

James Brown changed the face of American music forever. Charting his journey from rhythm and blues to funk, MR. DYNAMITE: THE RISE OF JAMES BROWN was made with the unique cooperation of the Brown Estate, which opened its archives for the first time. The documentary features rare and never-before-seen footage, interviews and photographs, chronicling the musical ascension of the "hardest working man in show business," from his first hit, "Please, Please, Please," in 1956, to his iconic performances at the Apollo Theater, the T.A.M.I. Show, the Paris Olympia and more. (C) HBO

There's so much to the Brown story that focus becomes an issue in a film like Alex Gibney's "Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown." How do you capture the hardest working man in show business in just two hours?

People make documentaries about musicians all the time, and some of them are rich with insight. But even among the best of the bunch, few are as thorough about the artist's music as Alex Gibney's Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown.

His fans will also get a kick out watching him sing, dance, and showboat as only he knew how to do. But if you don't care for the singer or his music, chances are that you'll lose interest in it before it's over.

While this doc certainly could've used more texture, and sometimes races along like a cinematic Wikipedia entry, Gibney accomplishes his task at hand, showing exactly why Brown has had the ability to "stay on the scene" for decades, and decades to come.